&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Administration And Resources Management (PM-221D) EPA/IMSD/91-013 SeptmebeMWi Selected Management Articles Teamwork: Employee Involvement PEOPLE ------- TEAMWORK: EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT SEPTEMBER 1991 EPA Headquarters Library Information Management and Services Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency RoomM2904 PM-211A 401 M Street, SW. Washington, DC 20460 ------- TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. DEVELOPING/BUILDING A TEAM 5 III. TEAM TRAINING 10 IV. TEAM MANAGEMENT 13 V. TEAMWORK IN ACTION 22 ------- TEAMWORK: EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT INTRODUCTION In times of limited resources, managers must be skilled in developing staff as key partners in bringing programs through difficult reassessment phases. Using teams to evalute and provide solutions to problems in the workplace has proven an effective use of human and time resources. Team members view themselves as "change agents," become more willing to share ideas with management, and take responsibility for their actions as a group. Managers must learn to foster and develop teams, establishing a rapport and a common vision of improvement. This bibliography, which is divided into 5 sections, contains summaries of a variety of articles on team building. The first section introduces the concept and advantages of teambuilding. The second section, "Developing/Building a Team," discusses the methods used to develop a team and promote teamwork within the organization. The third section "Team Training," focuses on training personnel and managers to work effectively as a team. The fourth section, "Team Management," examines the ways managers can foster and guide a team in completing its mission. The last section, "Teamwork in Action," presents case studies of successful teams. This report is a selection of articles in management journals published between 1985 and 1991. A descriptive abstract is included with each citation. The bibliography was compiled using the ABI/INFORM. PAI8. and MANAGEMENT CONTENTS online databases from DIALOG. There is more information available in the Headquarters Library on other aspects of quality management. An EPA librarian can assist in identifying other titles for further research. To obtain additional copies of this bibliography, or copies of the articles listed in this bibliography, contact Sigrid N. Smith, Reference Librarian, EPA Headquarters Library, (202) 260-5922, or Email address Library HQ/EPA3738. Other EPA Headquarters Library management bibliographic reports are listed at the end of this bibliography. ------- I INTRODUCTION Involvement and Commitment in the Workplace: A New Ethic Evolving Green, F. B.; Hatch, Eric Advanced Management Journal v55n4 PP: 8-12 Autumn 1990 The key to high commitment is employee involvement (El). El consists of: 1. goal orientation, 2. continual improvement, 3. valued partnerships, 4. high expectations, 5. mutual respect, 6. shared decision making, 7. team recognition, 8. extensive training, 9. job flexibility, and 10. support by managers and supervisors. Ethical considerations have played a minor role in this emerging phenomenon. The primary catalyst has been a recognition that the Japanese model of group problem solving and team consensus has been enormously effective in Japan and in US plants managed by Japanese executives. Many of the interactions enabling employees to function as successful team members are the same as those found and valued in close-knit communities and families. Companies seeking to attain a high level of commitment from their workforce are able to do so only when they: 1. genuinely value workers' contributions, 2. eliminate barriers of hierarchy and rank, 3. develop an atmosphere of trust, 4. invest heavily in training, and 5. empower their employees to improve and control their own work. (ABI/INFORM) Innovative Teams at Work Anderson, Neil; Hardy, Gillian; West, Michael Personnel Management v22n9 PP: 48-53 Sep 1990 Many organizations have survived the 1970s and 1980s by responding to the demands of external change in an unplanned manner. But the 1990s look set to impose an increased burden that will necessitate more proactive and strategic human resource management (HRM) approaches toward coping with change. One central technique in the repertoire of coping mechanisms is that of self- generated innovation and creativity from within the organization. The process of conceptualization, development, and implementation of new and improved work practices and products constitutes an essential means of responding proactively to external change. Yet, capacities for innovation within organizations at both the individual and work group levels are too often undeveloped and undervalued. Research by Sheffield University is revealing key elements in innovation processes that have important implications for the role of HRM specialists in developing creativity and innovation. Four factors have consistently surfaced in both private and public sectors as key determinants of group innovativeness: vision, participative safety, climate for excellence, and support for innovation. (ABI/INFORM) ------- Managing Hunan Assets -It's Tine For Mew Thinking. Beer, M.; Specter, B.A. Harvard University , Cambridge, MA, 02138 Office Administration and Automation Vol.46, No.3, March 1985, P. 26-29,60. 4 Pages. Recession, deregulation, and foreign competition have caused business managers to search for ways to improve productivity and quality. The Japanese management approach to a collaborative relationship with employees and unions has resulted in quality and cost advantages over American companies. Many attempts to improve productivity fall short because employees are not committed or competent. Some American companies have invested in the development of effective human resource management practices, with dramatic payoffs in quality and productivity. New thinking provides employees with equitable pay, challenging work, participation in decisions and policies, and opportunity for personal growth. The new approach is particularly important for managers of white collar workers who work with information technology. Innovative companies are moving toward increasing employee influence by forming employee task forces and committees to study various problems and recommend approaches and new policies. Innovative companies use team building to deal with human resource flow, reward systems and work systems, and to accept responsibility for tasks and meeting goals. Photographs of Point 4 Data Corp. and On-Line Software International are included. A diagram represents tools for employee development. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) The Power of Applied Principles Zenger, John H. Executive Excellence v8n2 PP: 18-19 Feb 1991 Skill training alone will not bring about the lasting changes in attitudes and behavior required for teamwork. A special combination of principles and skills brings about enduring change. People need clear, strategic principles to assist them in applying their skills. Behavior modeling combines positive behavioral principles with practical ways to put them in action. At Zenger-Miller Inc., training systems are developed from basic principles such as: 1. focusing on the issue or situation, not on the person, 2. maintaining the self-esteem of others, 3. building positive working relationships, 4. taking initiative to make things better, and 5. leading by example. These principles command immediate, almost universal, assent in training rooms because they reflect commonly held beliefs. Later, when participants acquire concrete skills, their actions and beliefs are harmonized. (ABI/INFORM) ------- Team Effectiveness Theory. Weisbord, M.B., Block Petrella Weisbord , Training & Development Journal Vol.39, No.l, Jan. 1985, P. 27-29. 3 Pages. A look at the team approach to successful business working is presented. The idea of team work and how it affects the workers is explained. How to go about setting up a team building meeting to decide if team work will be feasible in the work place is discussed. How to guide employees to become team members and cooperate fully with one another is also discussed. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Teamwork: A Delicate Balance - (Part 1) Holden, Lorraine P. Managers Magazine v65n6 PP: 12-19 Jun 1990 Today, workers seek employment that fits and conforms to who they are. They expect a reciprocity that permits them to do what they do best so that they feel fulfilled. This new breed of worker wants to be prized, creative, and part of a community. Participative management or teamwork brings out in people those characteristics they want to exhibit and that the marketplace demands. Any easy, visual tool to help understand what makes winning teams what they are can be found in a mobile, which is responsive, balanced, synergistic, interdependent, and accessible. Job ownership is an important part of building winning teams. With job ownership, people have responsibility, initiative, and power in their workplaces. They view themselves as "change agents" whose contributions influence outcomes. Synergy and teamwork can be developed by giving employees real leadership responsibilities, recognizing and rewarding them for excellence, encouraging personal development, using people's talents and skills, and establishing genuine feelings of cooperation between workers and managers. (ABI/INFORM) Teamwork: A Delicate Balance (Part II) Holden, Lorraine P. Managers Magazine v65n7 PP: 19-21 Jul 1990 Management consultants have identified 3 progressive stages in team development: 1. dependency, 2. more independence, and 3. interdependence. When it tried to develop a strong team-oriented approach to policyowner service, a major life insurance company reported that employees went through the following 4 phases as the program progressed: 1. What can you do for me? 2. What can I do for me? 3. What can I do for you? 4. What can we do together? In team building, managers are encouraged to select people who are already motivated. Three of the 10 characteristics identified by the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association as predictive of agent ------- succcess are people-oriented skills: 1. the ability to accurately perceive others' points of view, needs, and interests, 2. the ability to instill confidence in others, and 3. the ability to work on one's own without close supervision. These abilities nurture a team and are nurtured by team members. (ABI/INFORM) Teamwork: A Delicate Balance (Part III) Holden, Lorraine P. Managers Magazine v65n8 PP: 29-32 Aug 1990 A primary cause of problems in the workplace is poor communication. Communication is needed to articulate a vision, solve a problem, create a solution, delegate a responsibility, or resolve a conflict. Most important, communication makes teamwork possible. Well-developed communication skills facilitate the interaction and interdependency between team members. In a team setting, managers must be prepared to be role models of effective communications skills and be sensitive to the individual strengths and weaknesses represented on the team. Team meetings are both an arena in which communication takes place and a vehicle through which communication is encouraged. Strategies for carrying out tasks as a team include: 1. defining the task, 2. seeking information and opinions, 3. elaborating, 4. coordinating efforts, 5. summarizing, and 6. experimenting. Strategies for encouraging team members to work together include setting standards, listening, emphasizing strengths, evaluating, and passing on leadership. (ABI/INFORM) ------- II. DEVELOPING/BUILDING A TEAM Breaking Down Barriers - Part I: Inter-Departmental Team Building Berger, Mel Industrial & Commercial Training v23nl PP: 24-30 1991 To break down barriers to teamwork, managers can start with the individual or with the formal organization structure and roles. Some techniques are: 1. bottleneck analysis, a method for exchanging views about how other departments function and see the world, 2. the team role questionnaire, which illustrates how each person can contribute to problem solving at one phase or another, and 3. role negotiation, which involves each team member negotiating with each other team member about changes in behavior or procedures that would aid in doing the job better. Temporary structures, such as task forces, quality circles, and project teams, bring together people from different disciplines to address common issues. This approach can be a powerful tool for obtaining quality decisions, commitment to action, and cross-departmental network building. (ABI/INFORM) Breaking Down Barriers - Part II: Inter-Departmental Team Building Berger, Mel Industrial & Commercial Training v23n2 PP: 7-11 1991 A case study illustrates the use of several techniques for developing interdepartmental and interlevel collaboration. To complement technical improvements, training was carried out involving 30 section leaders, followed by training 20 supervisors and 8 managers. The result of this training was more cohesive departmental teams and greater cooperation between departments. Guidelines for using team-building techniques include: 1. If time urgency permits, start by building awareness. 2. Start where people are most likely to be receptive, where one can achieve initial success and build momentum. 3. To increase the probability that desired changes are implemented, develop a network of people with independent roles who are actively committed to tackling mutual problems or are accepting of the initiatives of others. 4. To facilitate the genuine discussion among employees of differing status, be prepared to listen and compromise. (ABI/INFORM) Teaching People to Act on Information Moran, John W.; Talbot, Richard P. National Productivity Review v9n4 PP: 429-438 Autumn 1990 In the 1990s, the basis of the work environment will evolve from individual contributor roles to collaborative, joint ownership and shared responsibility. This change will manifest itself in the form of self-contained work teams. To facilitate high-performance ------- teamwork within and among these teams, a significant cultural change must take place. Teams will have to learn new skills to empower them to work together effectively to accomplish their missions. Before individuals can ensure customer satisfaction by working well together, they must learn to act on information that they gather or that is presented to them. In order to do this, they must: 1. translate information into a universally understood format, 2. consolidate information to summarize the data through descriptive statistics, and 3. communicate information in a timely and accurate way. Graphic displays of information, such as flowcharts, selection grids, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and pie charts, can facilitate analysis and ensure proper actions. (ABI/INFORM) Outward Bound: Strategies for Team Survival in an Organization Ancona, Deborah Gladstein Academy of Management Journal v33n2 PP: 334-365 Jun 1990 Team-context interaction was examined in 5 consulting teams. Data collection focused on team leaders* plans right after the teams were formed, team interactions with outsiders, and internal group processes and outcomes. The data revealed 3 strategies toward the teams' environment: 1. informing, 2. parading, and 3. probing. Informing teams remained relatively isolated from their environments, parading teams had high levels of passive observation of the environment, and probing teams actively engaged outsiders. Probing teams revised their knowledge of the environment through external contact, initiated programs with outsiders, and promoted their team's achievements within their organization. They were rated as the highest performers among the teams; however, member satisfaction and cohesiveness suffered in the short run. The results suggested that external activities are better predictors of team performance than are internal group processes for teams facing external dependence. (ABI/INFORM) Are You Really Ready to Build a Project Team? Kezsbom, Deborah S. Industrial Engineering v22nlO PP: 50-55 Oct 1990 A critical element in the achievement of higher levels of team performance is the creation of organizational environments and strategies that encourage teamwork. Where ordinary teams accept and value a plan as an end in itself, successful, high-performance teams value the process of planning and see the plan merely as a tool or means to an end. Recommended steps in the integrated planning and team building process are: 1. Create a positive climate. 2. Establish a common vision. 3. Define individual roles clearly. 4. Develop a sense of interdependency, and establish precedence relationships. 5. Identify the trade-offs and the risks. Effective team performance comes from creating an environment in ------- which team players work together under a unity of purpose. (ABI/INFORM) Eov to Build a Quality-Conscious Team Scheuing, Eberhard E. Supervisory Management v35nl PP: 6 Jan 1990 The effort to build quality consciousness in a workgroup should start with the understanding that quality involves consistently meeting or exceeding customer needs or expectations. Achieving this kind of performance standard requires continuous effort and constant vigilance. A number of steps can be taken to ensure that everyone becomes part of the quality improvement process: 1. Hold a participatory session to discuss quality. 2. Have the team identify its performance strengths and weaknesses. 3. Discuss the importance of quality and its benefits, such as reduced costs, the elimination of rework, improved profitability, and greater pride. 4. Build quality commitment by giving team members "ownership" of the effort. 5. Establish quality goals. 6. Remove inhibitions or barriers to improving quality. 7. Assist team members in efforts to change. 8. Control the work process. 9. Measure achievements. 10. Reward progress and correct weaknesses. 11. Review and set new goals. 12. Keep the momentum going. (ABI/INFORM) Building Teams - What works (Sometimes) Wolff, Michael F. Research-Technology Management v32n6 PP: 9-10 Nov/Dec 1989 One of the Industrial Research Institute's advanced study groups, led by Alvin P. Lehnerd, vice-president for research, design, and product development at Steelcase Inc., devoted 2 days to the discussion of teams and their interaction with the rest of the company. A number of principles that were laid out included: 1. Choosing the proper leader is critical. 2. A core group of 6-8 people who possess technical or business knowledge that contributes to the team's mission should be established. 3. Teams must understand clearly what they are expected to do and when. 4. Teams must believe that their assignment is important to the company and that what they do will make a difference. 5. Accountability is key. 6. Teams should be rewarded publicly. 7. Criteria for disbanding should be part of the initial charter. 8. Prospective members should be aware of how much time teams take. Several managers agreed that bringing different perspectives to bear was a plus for innovation. By following the above guidelines, even a company that has not encouraged teams before can form an effective team. (ABI/INFORM) ------- Twelve Ways to Better Team Building Belzer, Ellen J. Working Woman vl4n8 PP: 12, 14 Aug 1989 The team concept is compelling as a management tool. Managers can use a variety of tactics to inspire a sense of oneness among team members, including: 1. creating a group identity, 2. mapping out a team mission, 3. defining roles, 4. encouraging networking, 5. encouraging play time, 6. using humor,,and 7. developing an open atmosphere. Meeting informally with each member of the group before the project begins also is helpful for determining personal agendas, which always affect the outcome of a project, in advance. Giving the team a formal name will create a group identity and cause people to perceive their tasks and the goals of the team as significant. When a group gets together only formally, it often is difficult to develop the appropriate group dynamics; thus, lunches, dinners, and social events should be planned as well. Further, it is important to share information. Background on a project, including why it is a priority and what impact it will have on the company, always should be shared with the entire group. (ABI/INFORM) A Task-Focused Approach To Team Building. Davidson, J.P. Personnel Vol.62, No.3, March 1985, P. 16-18. Building a team that works in harmony and cooperation is not easy. A task focused program is an approach consisting of seven weekly two hour sessions. Between four and seven people are selected from a work unit. The team identifies general areas where work problems exist. They clarify team goals, and each member clarifies his or her goals. The team develops a team mission statement. In subsequent sessions, the team addresses obstacles, problems, agreements among members of the team, work conflicts, individual goals and progress. This process is effective because participants put energy into achieving the team's mission. Individual responsibilities are stressed and contribution to team success is acknowledged. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Designing a winning project team. Gemmell, Virginia Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p26(3) The leader of a project team must develop an overall vision that will encourage the input of team personnel and alleviate uncertainty over mission goals. A team should be made up of personnel of different backgrounds offering a wide range of experience and ensuring the cooperation of represented departments. Additionally, the team leader should name and manage roles in order to clarify the team's work and to empower personnel with 8 ------- responsibility. Team leaders must demonstrate commitment to team members, pay attention to the content of what the team is working on and continually monitor the way personnel are working towards project goals. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Tarkenton on teambuilding. Management Solutions v31 Oct, 1986, p30(2) Fran Tarkenton, former quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings and current chief executive of the consulting firm of Tarkenton & Co., believes that team work and people skills are more important management attributes than technical expertise and business knowledge. Tarkenton's firm counts among its clients such industry giants as General Motors, Exxon, and American Express. Team building relies upon defining a goal for the team, soliciting ideas from team members and avoiding dictating to the team, while maintaining some supervisory control. Teams work best when all team members are unconcerned as to who gets credit for the team's success. It is also vital to the success of the team for leaders to concentrate on solving conflicts between team members. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) ------- III. TEAM TRAINING Building and using teams. Pell, Arthur R. Managers Magazine v66 April, 1991, p25(2) Most work involves the use of teamwork, and a successful team can be developed by following the TEAM concept, which stands for training, enthusiasm, assurance, and measurement. Training should be used to inform employees about the advantages of teamwork. Team members must be enthusiastic about the idea of working together, and they should be assured that they will be given support by management. Finally, goals should be established and measured. The problems to avoid include excessive competitiveness and inequality in employee productivity. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Orientation: the first step in team-building. Cohen, Madeline E. Training & Development Journal v42 Jan, 1988, p20(3) The Cleveland Clinic Foundation operates an employee orientation process that makes the new employee feel at home and part of a team from the start. An important part of this is the training of supervisors to conduct orientation. The supervisors participate in a role-playing scenario that simulates the new employee's and supervisor's team positions. The supervisor and new employee should discuss the organizational structure and how the department fits into it; self-improvement opportunities in the organization; the organization's communication system; resource people within the organization; and the assignment of a mentor to the new employee. (ABI/INFORM) Project Team Training: A Proven Key to Organizational Teamwork and a Breakthrough in Planning Performance Rogers, Lloyd A. Project Management Journal v21n2 PP: 9-18 Jun 1990 The problems experienced in project management are examined, and the opportunities that can be gained in solving those problems through training project management planning teams in a commercial product development laboratory and manufacturing plant environment are provided. A proven methodology is presented for project schedule planning from a project life cycle phase structure. In addition, an explanation is provided for how to organize the planning team, how to use structured methods to develop and optimize the plan, and how to control the implementation process through continuous future checkpoint planning. A distinction is made between success and failure based on personal experience at IBM Corp. in managing projects and conducting project schedule 10 ------- planning workshops for actual project management teams in a wide range of functional organizations. The keys to success in project schedule management are provided. (ABI/INFORM) Improving Organisation Effectiveness Through Employee Involvement Portis, Bernard; Hill, Neil Business Quarterly v53n3 PP: 58-61 Winter 1989 A survey was conducted of 20 Canadian companies with employee involvement programs. It was found that several companies have become very innovative in running the programs, and, as a result, the programs have become more satisfactory to employees and management. The survey found that most of the companies made employee teamwork and training the focus of their involvement programs. A major innovation in some companies was that training in solving work problems had been extended to all work groups, not just a few quality circles. Most of the companies were attempting to get managers to participate more actively in employee involvement programs, and some had formed interdepartmental task forces of managers and employees. A surprising finding was that employees in some unionized companies had assumed responsibility for running involvement groups. Nearly all the programs in the survey had excellent coordination from their steering committees and program facilitators. (ABI/INFORM) Training for Team Building Huszczo, Gregory E. Training & Development Journal v44n2 PP: 37-43 Feb 1990 The US became an economic power by encouraging managers to be directive and even autocratic, but now, employee commitment must become more important than control and compliance. In recent years, organizations have used small work teams as a basic tool for reenergizing workforces and gaining employee commitment. Many strategies are needed to transform a traditionally run organization into a team-oriented one. One popular approach is to provide training, which can be the key to the development of a team concept, although certain deficiencies are apparent in the typical team-training approaches. Some flaws in training for team concept include: 1. confusing team building with teamwork, 2. viewing teams as closed systems, 3. starting team training without assessing team needs, 4. treating team building as a Japanese management technique, 5. assuming that teams are basically alike, 6. treating team building as a program rather than a process, and 7. not holding teams accountable for what they learn in team training. Training can move teams toward greater effectiveness, thereby reestablishing the corporate US as a primary economic power. (ABI/INFORM) 11 ------- Training in Team and Consensus Building Nanda, Ravinder Management Solutions V31n9 PP: 31-36 Sep 1986 Clear communication of goals, instructions, and ideas in a work group is a step toward team building, and open and clear communication is the foundation of group consensus. One supervisory training exercise that facilitates these skills is based on the belief that the performance of supervisors and their workers is influenced by perceptions of each other's roles and responsibilities. Supervisory participants are divided into 2 groups. The role model exercise involves 5 phases: l. Individuals in the groups prepare lists describing areas of responsibility for which they are held accountable. 2. Each group selects a leader who elicits items from participants' lists, compiling them into a larger list of job responsibility. 3. Each group agrees on the 5 most important items related to each job, and individual lists are compared with those prepared by consensus. 4. Both groups share their lists and findings. 5. Supervisors prepare action lists. An example is provided of the methodology put to use in training supervisory personnel. (ABI/INFORM) Training in Team-Building Maude, Barry Industrial & Commercial Training v!2nll PP: 460-462 Nov 1980 The effective manager is the one who has the capability of organizing winning teams. Team building involves: 1. sharing information with the team, 2. discussing job problems, and 3. developing a consensus view on how the problems should be handled. Characteristics of successful teams include common objectives, group identity, and open communication. Management seminars offer the best opportunity for building and reinforcing the team concept. Training methods for building effective teams include: 1. action- centered leadership, 2. transactional analysis, 3. interaction analysis, 4. intergroup training, and 5. organization development (OD) . OD theory states that overlapping groups constitute basic building blocks of the firm and that improvements in organizational performance can be gained by improving the way managers work together as teams. OD itself has as its central focus organizational change, and its use fosters development of the team concept, given the fact that team skills are required by all managers. (ABI/INFORM) 12 ------- IV. TEAM MANAGEMENT How to Get Your Group to Perform Like a Team Blanchard, Kenneth * Executive Excellence v7n7 PP: 18-19 Jul 1990 Managers report that 60% to 90% of their time is usually spent in group activities, adding that much of that time is wasted. Getting a group to perform like a team initially means getting the group to focus on producing results. Team members will produce better results if they first visualize how the group will work together. There are 7 characteristics that summarize the desired behaviors necessary for a group to become a high-performance team: 1. purpose, 2. empowerment, 3. relationships and communication, 4. flexibility, 5. optimal productivity, 6. recognition and appreciation, and 7. morale. Of the 7, optimal productivity and morale are the most important. The group's level of productivity and morale is shaped by specific behaviors that may be performed by any member of the group and should be shared by all. The behaviors must either provide direction (to increase productivity) or provide support (to increase morale). Direction can best be given in 3 forms: structure, control, and supervision. Team members can support each other by praising, listening, and facilitating. (ABI/INFORM) Management: 12 Ways to Rev Dp Your Team Gregg, Elaine Black Enterprise v21n4 PP: 85-86 Nov 1990 Leadership, not just good management, is necessary to revitalize and inspire a demoralized or unmotivated staff. Twelve suggestions for managers are: 1. Develop a mission statement and review management's vision of where the company needs to go in the future. 2. Translate this vision into action. 3. Establish an open-door policy to build an atmosphere of confidence and trust. 4. Encourage staff members to take risks. 5. If a project fails and upper level management is critical, stand up for the department and work together to resolve the problem. 6. Encourage idea-sharing. 7. Be aware of what is happening in the office, and be sensitive to any disruptive influences. 8. Create an informal atmosphere. 9. Reward excellent work. 10. Use discipline when necessary. 11. Encourage camaraderie. 12. Be a good communicator and demand commitment to the job. (ABI/INFORM) 12 Tips for Better Team Meetings Tagliere, Daniel A. Journal for Quality & Participation PP: 64-67 Dec 1990 The teamwork process is used most often and in its most 13 ------- sophisticated form in such activities as strategic planning, organizational development, and marketing and project planning or some variety of problem solving, quality improvement, or productivity enhancement. It is possible to utilize the full creative and critical thinking resources of every team member and obtain the best possible results both during and after meetings. Some suggestions for better team meetings are: 1. Believe that teams can and will work together productively. 2. Take time to know your teammates -their values, thinking, and styles of communicating. 3. Organize the team, and address the means of decision making. 4. Manage team meetings. 5. Control team assignments. 6. Communicate effectively. 7. Use appropriate procedures for team assignments. 8. Structure idea generation and decision making. 9. Keep interpersonal processes positive. 10. Employ the best available meeting environment and technology. 11. Acknowledge, evaluate, and grow. 12. Enjoy teamwork with pride. (ABI/INFORM) Hov Delegation Can Lead Your Team to Victory Calano, Jimmy; Salzman, Jeff Working Woman v!4n8 PP: 86-87, 95 Aug 1989 Guiding a team to victory requires having the right talent and managing it well. Guidelines for making better delegation decisions include: 1. Keep a dossier on each team member. 2. Identify the "people people" and the "project people." 3. Occasionally give people assignments that are outside their areas of expertise so that they will become more versatile and feel more challenged. 4. Read between the lines. 5. Test out a rookie. 6. When faced with a deadline, give it to the "game breaker," the one person on the staff who never lets the leader down. 7. Ask for volunteers. 8. Turn assignments into treats. 9. Use delegation to build teamwork. Teams should consist of fairly equal numbers of "project people" and "people people." By balancing forces, detail people are meshed with big-picture people and the result is a combination of team consciousness and cooperation skills among all of the people. (ABI/INFORM) The Homework Behind Teamwork Cox, Allan Industry Week v240nl PP: 21-23 Jan 7, 1991 Teams that are truly value-added to their organizations are those committed to a set of core values that ensure quality performance. Among these core values are the following concepts: 1. Today's management style is of necessity one of quickened response. 2. The need to belong is a powerful human force that finds expression in teamwork. 3. Consensus-seeking is a time-wasting, leveling influence that impedes distinctive performance. 4. The authentic state of humanity is union, and, ironically, this state 14 ------- enhances one's uniqueness. 5. Belief in humanity as social beings is a lofty one and is best authenticated by down-to-earth performance. Chief executive officers must become steeped in these values if they are to lead their own teams properly and filter the values throughout their enterprises. (ABI/INFORM) High Performance Team Management Harris, Philip R.; Harris, Dorothy L. Leadership & Organization Development Journal v!0n4 PP: 28-32 1989 Teamwork involves sharing ability, energy, and leadership and playing multiple roles. For top project performance, team managers and members must learn a combination of competencies. High performance in such teams can be ensured by providing both technical and interpersonal training. Technical skills in project management usually utilize task behaviors. The acquisition of interpersonal skills in the practice of maintenance behavior often can be obtained by building teams regularly. An East-West Center investigation in Honolulu, Hawaii, by Moran and Harris (1982) found that cross-cultural differences can be used to create synergy in international teams. The results showed that the more multiple roles of a team are understood, the better the group's performance will be. A study by Mottram (1982) identified 8 distinctive styles or roles: 1. the chairperson, 2. the shaper, 3. the innovator, 4. the company worker, 5. the monitor evaluator, 6. the team worker, 7. the resource investigator, and 8. the completer. Blending these 8 roles usually results in high performance. (ABI/INFORM) Managing High-Performance Teams McCann, Dick; Margerison, Charles Training & Development Journal v43nll PP: 52-60 Nov 1989 Tomorrow's managers will be leaders of teams; they must understand team dynamics and how to steer their teams toward high performance. Managers and leaders of teams can be successful only if they completely understand differences between team members. Only by understanding and managing those differences can teams work through their conflicts and link themselves together in coherent units. It should be recognized that different work functions exist, such as innovating, producing, and inspecting, and that people differ in their work preferences. The Team Management Wheel helps identify the correlation between functions and preferences. For example, people who fall into the explorer-promoter section of the wheel are excellent at taking ideas and promoting them to others. Reporter-advisers represent the classic advisory role on the wheel. The hub of the wheel is the linker, which is often the main role of the team leader. Examples of successful implementation of the Team Management Wheel are provided. (ABI/INFORM) 15 ------- Recognizing genuine teamwork. Prince, George Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p25(7) Team work is an effective way to produce results, and supervisors can use techniques to create work groups that truly work together to reach goals. Collaborative teams are characterized by a flow of information between team members and a democratic spirit where each team member has the responsibility and authority to offer corrections and ideas. Leaders who put teams together must convey to team goals and define types of behavior conducive to teamwork. Leaders must also offer positive affirmation and validation of other team members and encourage each member of the team to take responsibility for promoting teamwork. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Motives, Selection, and Support: What Management Can Do to Make Sure a Team Fails Morris, Richard M., III Industrial Management v33n2 PP: 2-3 Mar/Apr 1991 There is a basic question that must be correctly answered and agreed upon by those concerned before establishing a team, regardless of whether it is temporary or permanent: is the team being organized to analyze a problem and make a specific recommendation for subsequent implementation or is it being established so that the question being reviewed can be avoided? The answer will determine the way the team is organized, the selection of the members, and the delegation of specific authority. Once a decision has been made to establish a team, the basic organizational issues must be identified and resolved. These include a definition of the team's purpose, structure, authority, resources, key objectives, and time frame. The establishment of definable, measurable goals and objectives is critical for the team and its individual members, who must be able to work together. (ABI/INFORM) The Project Manager as Team Builder: Creating an Effective Team Todryk, Lawrence Project Management Journal v21n4 PP: 17-22 Dec 1990 The design and construction of small to large projects presents a unique opportunity for the project manager (PM) to learn how to manage projects more effectively. Because PMs face an increase in the number of variables they must address, the probability of cost overruns, delayed schedules, and poor project authority and leadership is increased as well. Team productivity and effectiveness is impacted by change. The PM's ability to create an effective team is essential in responding to accelerated changes in technology, social attitudes, and human values. Leadership is the 16 ------- most important factor in establishing and maintaining quality work and effective teamwork. In an effective team, synergy is created that will address the challenges of the team. To implement a team- building process, a PM must have an understanding of human relationship skills and group dynamics. Benefits and rewards of team building include: 1. increased quality of work and decisions, and 2. increased collective team strength, resulting in a greater ability to complete projects on time. (ABI/INFORM) Reducing job stress through team building and positive management. Lau, Barbara Management Quarterly v29 Fall, 1988, p26(4) Research by Newsweek and Business Week reveal that in 1988 US workers filed the highest number of job-stress worker's compensation claims to date, making up 14% of all occupational disease claims. This represents a huge jump from the less than 5% of claims in 1980 that were similar. The most common reason for work-related stress is job insecurity and threat of job loss. Management can reduce the effects of job stress by developing stress management programs and by encouraging team-building and positive management skills. Managers who gain better listening skills and who can learn to criticize in a positive way will help to reduce stress in the workplace. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Reducing job stress through team building and positive management part II. (part 2 of 2) Lau, Barbara Management Quarterly v29 Winter, 1988, p!3(4) Adopting a radial teamwork structure and an employee reciprocity policy can increase employee effectiveness and reduce job stress. Radial teamwork uses small, task oriented group clusters instead of the traditional hierarchy in order to enhance communication, feedback, and problem solving. An employee reciprocity policy involves analyzing the interaction of employees and management in order to assure that employees are being treated fairly. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) How to Improve Team Management Margerison, Charles J.; McCann, Dick Leadership & Organization Development Journal vlOnS PP: 4-42 1989 Part of a manager's job is to ensure that workers perform as a team, with all members contributing to identifying and solving problems. Essential to that process are: 1. a winning attitude, 2. identification with team purpose and aims, 3. a manager's regular informal contact with members, 4. agreed agendas before meetings, 5. good minutes for meetings, 6. the charting of performance 17 ------- results, 7. constructive meetings, 8. team briefings that allow 2- way communication, 9. the effective management of differences of opinion, 10. the identification of work preferences, 11. creativity sessions, 12. realistic budgets, 13. specified authority and accountability for members, 14. the recording of ideas in a visual format, 15. challenging targets, 16. team reviews, 17. systematic problem solving, 18. the identification and correction of demotivation sources, 19. team communication, 20. the identification of external competition, 21. skilled linking, 22. output measurement, 23. attention to energy indicators, 24. team development, and 25. a supportive atmosphere. The essence of effective teamwork is top team management. (ABI/INFORM) Rewarding Technical Teamwork Mower, Judith c.; Wilemon, David Research-Technology Management v32n5 PP: 24-29 Sep/Oct 1989 The future of technology management belongs to teamwork because technologies and markets have grown too complex for the individuals working alone. The biggest obstacle to teamwork is that the professional schools, the academic sciences that turn out the technical specialists, and the organizations where they are employed still reward individual achievement more emphatically than a team effort. As part of a larger study focusing on the management of technical teams, more than 70 team leaders and members were interviewed. A vast majority responded negatively to the question of what team rewards they had experienced. If management wants to establish a desirable pattern of behavior, the action must be rewarded. Four basic reward principles that combine psychological notions with research findings are: 1. It is the recognition that counts, so long as the financial rewards are enough. 2. Intrinsic motivation must be recognized and supported. 3. It is important to reward teams and the individuals in them, but the focus should be on the teams. 4. Team managers must be sensitive to their role as dispensers of rewards. (ABI/INFORM) Teamwork starts at the top. Serpa, Roy Chief Executive (U.S.) April, 1991, p30(4) The effectiveness of teamwork in an organization depends on the ability of top executives to work together. However, many corporate cultures encourage individuality and competitiveness, and there is a lack of teamwork at the executive level in many organizations. CEOs of corporations should promote an atmosphere of trust among top executives for teamwork to be effective. Senior executives* examples of the importance of teamwork will demonstrate to subordinates that cooperation will be rewarded. The steps that CEOs can take to establish teamwork as an organizational value include basing portions of performance appraisals on the ability to work as 18 ------- a team, encouraging executives to support one another, and resolving conflicts through problem-solving sessions. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Empowering your team members. Rinke, Wolf J. Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p2l(4) Supervisors who want to improve employee motivation can utilize six guidelines. The guidelines suggest that supervisors must listen to employees, show concern for their welfare, emphasize employee strengths, reward accomplishments, and treat employees as important team members. Extensive training is necessary to build employee skills, effectiveness, and confidence, but supervisors that communicate corporate goals and build employee skills will give workers a sense of corporate responsibility, awareness, and teamwork abilities. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) HRI8 quality depends on teamwork. Fischer, Robert L. Personnel Journal v70 April, 1991, p47(4) Human resources professionals managing the implementation of human resources information systems can avoid falling behind schedule by focusing on the process of the implementation rather than solely on objectives. Project team members should include a project leader with good management skills, software technicians, and managers who understand the functional requirements of the systems. In-process quality control steps include additional sign- on guidelines for element specifications designated important in advance, preliminary or partial user testing at various phases of the process, and third-party reviews of systems specifications. Any quality control measures being implemented will require a change in the attitudes of management and those employees responsible for specifications development. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Nurturing the teamwork culture: internal customer service. Pastor, Joan; Gechtman, Risa Supervisory Management v36 April, 1991, plO(l) The most effective technique for creating and enhancing an effective teamwork culture within an organization is to encourage employees to think of fellow workers as internal customers. Supervisors should encourage an altruistic attitude among employees that replaces the self-serving mentality that often exists in a .competitive.atmosphere..The.steps supervisors can take to develop the co-worker as internal customer attitude include arranging inter-department meetings, encouraging personnel from different departments to talk directly with each other, and solidifying 19 ------- inter-department relationships by motivating employees to help each Other. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Understanding and managing informal groups. Hussein, Raef T. Management Decision v28 Annual, 1990, p36(6) Managers can increase organizational productivity and profitability by developing an understanding of informal work groups. Informal work groups offer such benefits as companionship and protection for members, but they also impose pressures to conform. Several factors affect group productivity, including resources, the compatibility of members, and individual characteristics. Informal leaders should be able to develop norms and allow members to achieve personal goals. Management can promote cooperation with informal work groups by recognizing the existence of informal groups, gathering information about the groups, training the informal leaders, adjusting their behavior, recognizing informal leaders, and encouraging cohesion. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) New Roles in Team Leadership Jessup, Harlan R. Training & Development Journal v44nll PP: 79-83 Nov 1990 Self-managed work teams are small groups of coworkers who share tasks and responsibilities for a well-defined segment of work. As the teams demonstrate their capability and maturity, they are given increasing responsibility for decisions that affect their work. If work teams are to take on responsibilities and achieve results, they must have internal structure. The best arrangement for many teams is shared leadership with defined duties, similar to that of club officers. Many of those who guide, support, and direct a team's activities are people from outside of the work group. These roles can include administrator, coach, and adviser. The administrator makes sure the teams have adequate resources and is responsible for tasks and authorizations not yet delegated to the work team. The coach focuses on team development and transfers group process skills to the team members to see that the team matures. Advisers offer technical support. Almost everyone who relates to the team and its members can be considered an adviser. (ABI/INFORM) Successful team structure defined. Managers Magazine v65 oct, 1990, p24(l) Teams need to be well-structured and well-managed to be effective. The characteristics of effective teams include a strong leader who acts as a team member while maintaining authority, a 20 ------- commitment to interdependence, a common objective, and a system of rewards. Effective teams can improve morale, generate ideas, and take advantage of the skills of their members. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Effective nanagement of effective teams. Weiss, Donald H. Supervisory Management v35 Oct, 1990, plO(2) Managers can effectively encourage teamwork by emphasizing both the group tasks and group member relationships so that the team can effectively accomplish the tasks and deal with interpersonal problems. Both the managers and the team members should identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) relating to the team. The SWOT analysis should include the examination of factors that include goals, results, and synergy. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) 21 ------- V. TEAMWORK IN ACTION Team Building on a Deadline Miller, Barry W.; Phillips, Ronald c. Training & Development Journal v40n3 PP: 54-57 Mar 1986 A review of an air quality control equipment construction project at Ohio Edison (OE) prompted OE's project managers, the architect/engineer, and the general contractor to decide a team- building effort was necessary to save the project. Under this leadership, a project status meeting finally focused on the real problems, recognized destructive behaviors, and resolved to make changes. Persons involved agreed on the basic tenet that a problem with the project was everyone's problem. The focus was on tasks to be done and problems to be resolved. Each company's positive contributions were noted, which reemphasized that the project had the necessary skill and talent to succeed. A team-effectiveness strategy developed in which communication, feedback, and follow- through were critical elements. Time was set aside for intensive team building and problem solving. Units were online and on schedule, and all Environmental Protection Agency completion dates were met, with the project coming in $30 million under budget. (ABI/INFORM) Catch tbe Team Spirit: the Great Experiment in Team Management. Across the Board 26:12-27+ My '89 Organizational, managerial, and stress-related issues; experiences of some US companies; 5 articles. Includes the "Desert Survival Problem" group decision-making exercise. (PAIS) Innovative teams at work, (includes case study) Anderson, Neil; Hardy, Gillian; West, Michael Personnel Management V22 Sept, 1990, p48(5) Human resource (HR) professionals should place a high priority on the issue of teamwork innovation in the 1990s. Given the increasing pace of organizational change, encouraging teamwork innovation may be an important factor in business success and an area in which HR can have a basic strategic impact. The common factors present in private and public sector teamwork innovation include vision, participative safety, and a climate for excellence. Vision is a shared idea of a valuable team outcome. Less resistance to change and the likelihood of innovation is directly proportional to the levels of participative safety. Team discussion of standards of work, methods for achieving goals, and reviews of performance levels are indicative of a climate for excellence. A climate for excellence results in new ideas that are reviewed and challenged in a constructive manner. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) 22 ------- Identify Problems Areas Early With a 'Risk Management Team.' Anon Cashflow Magazine Vol.6, No.7, Sept. 1985, P. 18,22. A team approach can help solve complicated risk management problems quickly. Members of the team should be assembled from different functional areas of the organization. Employee benefits matters are major considerations in risk management programs. The importance of their area-gives managers an opportunity to upgrade their status in their companies. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS) Team Requirements Definition: Looking for a Mouse and Finding an Elephant Corbin, Darrell S. Journal of Systems Management v42n5 PP: 28-30 May 1991 Defining information system (IS) requirements no longer is effectively accomplished by having a systems analyst interview numerous people over a long period of time. In an alternate approach, facilitated team sessions are using techniques such as Joint Application Design to define system needs. Occasionally, these methods find more than they were originally looking for - an elephant instead of a mouse. Rockwell Hanford, a former division of Rockwell International, determined that an information resource management plan was needed. Teams of users were led by a skilled facilitator to define system requirements. Several critical success factors emerged from Rockwell's experience: 1. Team members need to be highly valued employees. 2. The facilitator is the key to success. 3. Meetings should be held off-site. 4. The IS staff should be seen, not heard. (ABI/INFORM) Training in Team Building Critical to Complex Projects Eckerson, Wayne Network World v7n40 PP: 23-24 Oct 1, 1990 According to a survey of network managers, the key to project success is to give staff members specialized training in group dynamics and team building. At McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Information Services Co., all employees receive training in team building and group dynamics as part of the firm's quality improvement program. In Team Players and Teamwork, author Glenn Parker says that effective teams contain 4 types of players: l. contributors, 2. collaborators, 3. communicators, and 4. challengers. Teams that lack one of these personality types will fail to achieve maximum productivity. Consultant Patrick Springer believes that every team also needs a strong administrator who understands corporate goals and puts in place well-defined objectives to achieve those goals. Many companies also think it is important to include vendors and end users as part of the network teams. For example, the telecommunications department of Gannett 23 ------- Co. views the vendor as an extension of its department when introducing new systems in subsidiaries across the US. (ABI/INFORM) 24 ------- EPA HEADQUARTERS LIBRARY MANAGEMENT COLLECTION List of Management Bibliographies 1. PUBLIC POLICY MECHANISMS: NON-REGULATORY OPTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION by Sigrid N. Smith, June 1991 EPA/IMSD-91-006 2. EFFECTIVE CONFERENCE PLANNING by Sigrid N. Smith, March 1991 EPA/IMSD-91-002 3. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT by Mary Hoffman and Sigrid N. Smith, January 1991 EPA/IMSD-91-001 4. MANAGING A DIVERSE WORK FORCE by Anne Twitchell, September 1990 EPA/IMSD-90-011 5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT by Anne Twitchell, June 1990 EPA/IMSD-90-007 6. STRATEGIC PLANNING by Anne Twitchell, March 1990 EPA/IMSD-90-005 7. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT by Anne Twitchell, December 1989 EPA/IMSD-89-009 8. LEADERSHIP: QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE by Anne Twitchell, September 1989 EPA/IMSD-89-005 9. COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT by Anne Twitchell, June 1989 EPA/IMSD-89-003 10. EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS by Anne Twitchell, March 1989 EPA/IMSD-89-002 11. OFFICE OF THE FUTURE: THE MANAGER'S ROLE by Anne Twitchell, December 1988 EPA/IMSD-88-013 25 ------- 12. OFFICE OF THE FUTURE: THE CHANGING ROLE OF SECRETARIES by Mary Hoffman and Anne Twitchell, revised May 1989 13. MANAGEMENT TRANSITION by Mary Hoffman and Anne Twitchell, September 1988 EPA/IMSD-88-007 14. MANAGING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR by Mary Hoffman, March 1988 EPA/IMSD-88-003 15. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE by Mary Hoffman, December 1987 EPA/IMSD-87-011 16. INTRAPRENEURSHIP: THE EMERGING FORCE by Mary Hoffman, September 1987 17. SUPERVISORS AND HUMAN RESOURCES by Mary Hoffman, June 1987 EPA/IMSD-87-0062 18. TECHNICAL EXPERT TURNED MANAGER by Mary Hoffman, March 1987 26 ------- |